CSymposium 2 “Globalized Popular Culture and Intercultural Studies”

ommentator
Incredibly Interesting,
FOR ALL THAT ….
Tetsuo Takada
Media Artist/Professor, Bunkyo University

Actually, and it’s a little affected to be saying soWell, one thing I’d like to say is about Mr. Ukai,

myself, but I am the one who designed the program andwho at the end – what should I say, timidly? – said withposter for this event. I’m saying this because that is thereserve that media is different from other things. What’s

reason why I am here. They let me be here because I de-

important is that, actually, media connects virtual data.

signed it.

In the end, all of it.

As just introduced, I teach computer graphics, so

Theater is basically – well, they do act out lies, but

the presentations were a completely new world to me,

basically – direct. Direct expression. At the beginningthough I guess I intend to know it, and I was surprisedof our long history – in primitive times, there was only

and interested to hear about it. I listened with admira-direct expression. You transmit information directly.

tion. I learned a lot. It was superb.

Learning by imitation. In that age, there were no words.

But on the other hand there are various things I

When you show anger in your face, like, “You bas-must relate to you, and if I don’t say anything they won’ttard!”… but you can’t say, “You bastard!” You say,let me go home, so I’ll say something. But, I think as I

“Ahhh!” In other words, I would say that history justcreate artwork. I am an artist, although my income as amay be leading the human race in the end to a place

professor is much higher, and I’d like you to understandwhere words are not necessary. Media, too, would notthat I think while I create. Therefore, I have taken in well

be necessary. The symbols that we have assigned to var-what the presenters have explained.

ious things would all be unnecessary. We would com-However, from the point of view of someone whocreates, one cannot create unless something exists. Ac-

municate with feelings. That might be a world of danceor drama or music.

tually, I am thinking about these various situations, fromBut we are now in this society full of contradictions,

history, that is media history, to now, the direct expres-so we can’t communicate with only that. In other words,

sion of theater. All of this basically needs to be taken in

in order to explain the various contradictions we have

without contradiction, or else I cannot express myself inwords, we have theories, and we construct theory after the-response.

ory. What with Marx and Engels and whoever, right?

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Tetsuto Takada

Saying that capitalism is this or that, for the first

there really meaning in that?

time one has shown either one’s legitimacy or lackOr, one can step away from that media, and think,thereof. Further, in a system that has contradictions, after“Well, a different type of picture might be good. Maybe

hearing a particularly wonderful presentation and taking

I’ll try computers…” That’s how one changes. There arenotes and thinking about it afterwards, you start under-

many, many people who, as creators, fight to the deathstanding less rather than more, and get confused.

in this endeavor, and who die in this endeavor. For ex-

Actually, I have noticed that the public, or should I

ample, I’m sure you all know the artist Toshio Arimoto.

say consumers, are superbly selfish. In other words, theyThis will give away my age, but we’re about the same

have no satisfaction. They were not even satisfied whenage. He lost himself in that, and really did lose his life.

they had direct communication. If you trace it through his-At an early age. There are people like that. But I do think

tory, pictograms became necessary, and people came to be

he was an outstanding person.

able to communicate various things. But here we are, withHowever, as media expression changes over andme at the highest level doing computer graphics, and doingover like this, and for us it is just to stay alive. Actually,

3D graphics as well, using high technology which gives

creators are always in a battle such as this. This is going

the highest level of expression while researching commu-

to run off into a lot of different topics, but on hearing

nication itself. But this is no more than humans progress-Mr. Schodt’s presentation, that is really a battle goinging towards the summit of their desires. And we haveon there. Of manga artists.

come to the point where those who are on the receiving

Whether your manga will become a hit in America,

end want media to give them more and more stimulationthat is a real battle. I think it was a battle even before

and things that are more and more real.

that. Everyone is in a battle from the stage before theySo, for example, the field of manga – that is, thefield of printed manga – could not fully satisfy so westart writing a work of their own. I really understandhow the people who survived the battle went that far.

are now in an age of animation. Of course this is theWhat really is the reason for this, you can under-

same as the history of media where movies and radio

stand if you study Arnold J. Toynbee. In brief, history isand such media have overcome each other, one after an-

the usage of new strategy as it comes out… and depend-other. Things change. They are now aiming at exceed-ing on one’s ability to fight back… culture prospers.

ingly realistic virtual realities with 3D technology for

However, at some point, when a culture wins andthe future. In the end we will be able to touch it. No,

reaches its summit, people become complacent and thenow they are saying that even smells are necessary.

culture slowly deteriorates. This is Toynbee. This theIn the midst of this, we creators are always at firstmaking our way within one form of media. I, too, am atype of material I prepared as a comment.
Actually, Mr. Morikawa’s presentation was incred-painter. I am involved in the world of fine arts in France.

ibly interesting, and after that it’s not my place to create

There was a time when I was desperate to make a paint-

a disturbance by bringing up my own topic – so, I gave

ing that surpassed everyone else’s. But one comes toup on presenting that material. In the end, I need only

one’s limit within the art circle. Well then, if one con-to speak lightly, and then Mr. In-Sung will put every-tinues to do one’s best within that limit, then one mightthing together. So, let me pass the baton to him.

become an Ikuo Hirayama. But one comes to think, is75